I Really Am A Villain

“Manager Yue, you misunderstand,” the Wang Heavenly Clan steward said with a thin smile, then turned back to Xu Zimo, his expression instantly darkening.

“In deference to Sun-Moon Tower,” he said coldly, “I’ll let you live a few more days.”

With that, the steward turned and led his men away. Inside Sun-Moon Tower, none of them dared to fight.

The manager, however, kept smiling as she watched Xu Zimo. “Little brother, you owe me a favor. I just saved your life.”

“You didn’t save me,” Xu Zimo said evenly. “You saved them.”

“Oh, such a dull little brother,” the manager chuckled, unfazed. “By the way, let me give you a piece of advice, Wang Heavenly Clan might restrain themselves from killing you outright, for the sake of appearances. But they’ll likely hire assassins from Sun-Moon Tower.”

“It doesn’t matter, I’ll just kill all of them.” Xu Zimo replied calmly.

Sun-Moon Tower forbade open combat within its walls, but its assassins were permitted to carry out contracts of death. That was one of its most peculiar rules.

Back upstairs, Zhan Jun looked uneasy. After all, this was the Wang Heavenly Clan’s stronghold, and none of them wanted things to escalate to mutual destruction.

“We’re going to the Wang Heavenly Clan tomorrow,” Zhan Jun said.

“Will we be able to meet the Eternal Emperor?” Xu Zimo asked casually as he polished his weapon, Shadow Tyrant.

“No,” Zhan Jun said with a bitter laugh. “At most, we’ll see the family head. The Eternal Emperor is not someone just anyone can meet.”

“The Eternal Emperor is in the Wang Heavenly Clan residence, then?” Xu Zimo asked.

“That we don’t know,” Zhan Jun replied. “He only appears when our two families go to war.”

“When we go to the Wang Heavenly Clan tomorrow, just follow my instructions,” Xu Zimo said. “I’ll handle the Eternal Emperor. As for the Wang Heavenly Clan itself, that’s your Lu Heavenly Clan’s concern.”

“Rest assured,” Zhan Jun said confidently, though his voice wavered slightly toward the end. “As long as the Eternal Emperor doesn’t intervene, we’re not weaker than the Wang Heavenly Clan.”

Then, hesitating, he asked quietly, “Are you… a Grand Emperor too?”

“You’ll find out tomorrow,” Xu Zimo said. “For now, stay inside Sun-Moon Tower. The Wang Heavenly Clan might retaliate.”

“They shouldn’t attack us directly. You be careful,” Zhan Jun replied.

Xu Zimo only shrugged and, after parting with him, walked out of Sun-Moon Tower.

The capital was alive with excitement, the impending Wang–Lu alliance had turned the city into a festival. He wanted to stroll around and observe.

The mention of the Eternal-Sword God-King Physique, however, reminded him of someone.

Back in the Mortal Ascension Heaven, at the Celestial Sage Academy, they had met a young girl whom Xie Changliu had taken as a disciple. After only a brief period of instruction, Xu Zimo and Xie had departed for the Ghost God Heaven and lost contact with her.

That girl possessed the Eternal-Sword God-King Physique, the same divine lineage as the Eternal Emperor himself.

Xu Zimo pondered briefly as he walked, and before long, he found himself in the busiest street of Royal City.

Every inn owned by the Wang Heavenly Clan was offering free lodging and food. Lion dances and dragon parades filled the streets, an endless wave of sound and color.

The city was joyous, none realized that blood would soon follow the celebration.

Among the flowing crowds, Xu Zimo sat quietly by the roadside when a woman suddenly bumped into him.

She appeared flustered and apologetic, her collision seemingly accidental. An ordinary man might have instinctively reached out to steady her.

But Xu Zimo didn’t move. He merely watched her silently.

The woman froze for a moment, then stumbled to the ground in front of him.

“I’m sorry, young master,” she said hurriedly, standing up and bowing her head in panic.

“It’s fine,” Xu Zimo said with a faint smile. “Though your short dagger just slipped out of your sleeve.”

The woman blinked in shock and instinctively glanced down, then realized what had happened.

Cold sweat broke out across her face as she looked up, terrified.

“An assassin from Sun-Moon Tower?” Xu Zimo clicked his tongue twice. “Your assassination technique isn’t very refined.”

Desperate, the woman drew her dagger from her sleeve and lunged at him, the killing aura condensing at the tip, sharp enough to pierce the void itself.

A moment later, there was a deafening bang.

The female assassin was flung through the air like a rag doll, her body crashing through a nearby roof with an explosive crack.

The tiles and beams collapsed, and her head burst open like a watermelon, scattering blood and brain matter.

The power behind a single casual slap, terrifying beyond words.

“Go tell Sun-Moon Tower to collect her body,” Xu Zimo said blandly to the stunned onlookers.

His tone was as calm as if he had just squashed an insect.

Stepping over the corpse, Xu Zimo wandered through the city a while longer before returning to Sun-Moon Tower in the late afternoon.

The moment he entered, he sensed something was wrong.

The entire building was deserted, not even the maids were present. Only a man in a dragon robe sat by the window, drinking alone.

The silence was suffocating, so still one could hear a pin drop.

Xu Zimo glanced at the man, then started toward the stairs.

“Won’t you join me for a drink?” the man said suddenly.

Xu Zimo paused, closed his eyes, and extended his senses before replying slowly, “As far as I know, there’s only one Grand Emperor in this capital, the Eternal Emperor.”

“Where do you come from?” the man asked with a faint smile.

“Does that matter?”

“Not really,” the man said, setting down his cup. “I’m more curious, how is Elder Lu Sheng these days?”

“He’s dead,” Xu Zimo answered.

“For a dead man’s sake, you’re willing to wade into this muddy water?” the man asked.

“What muddy water?” Xu Zimo sneered. “Do you really think your Wang Heavenly Clan, insects like you, are worth such words?”

“You have quite the tone, boy.” the Eternal Emperor said, his smile fading. “Let’s see if your strength matches it.”

The wine jar in his hand shattered, the spilled liquor hanging suspended in the air.

Each droplet pulsed with immense power, freezing even the surrounding void.

That was the aura of eternity.

What was eternity?

After countless ages, when seas became fields and eras turned to dust, only eternity endured.

With a flick of his hand, the Eternal Emperor sent the suspended liquor surging toward Xu Zimo.

Each droplet tore through the void, embodying the Dao of Eternity itself.

The torrent of wine roared like a dragon, divine might crashing forward.

Xu Zimo raised Shadow Tyrant to block.

The overwhelming force poured through the weapon into his body, circulating through his meridians like a storm.

His bones crackled loudly under the strain as he staggered back several steps, slamming into the stair rail.

“Interesting,” Xu Zimo said with a grin.

He waved his hand, devouring the immortal essence within his body.

“It’s been a long time since I fought another Grand Emperor,” the Eternal Emperor said, standing up. The immense power around him rippled through the void.

“What a coincidence,” Xu Zimo replied, smiling faintly. “I’ve killed so many Grand Emperors I’ve lost count.”